Title: The Frying Pan of Doom
Date: January 31, 2000
Catagorys: H
Disclamer:  I don't own JQ, and Annalia and The Frying Pan of Doom(no, it's 
not mine) belong to Patricia C. Wrede, from the story "Utensil Strength"
Author's Note: K, I started this around, last February maybe, after I read 
the afore mentioned story.  I think it was a snowday, but it, um took me a 
while to finish it.  The story is from a book of short stories called The 
Book of Enchantments.  It's good.  I suggest reading it.


    "You guys won't believe what I found."  Jessie said to Jonny and Hadji as 
she walked excitedly into the Quest mansion living room and held up her prize.
    "A frying pan?"  Jonny laughed.  "You got a frying pan at the flea 
marked?"  He fell over into the recliner and kept laughing hysterically.  
Jessie put her hands on her hips.
    "If I were you I would be careful, Jonny," Hadji said from the other side 
of the room.  "you don't want to get her angry."
    "And why not?"  Jonny asked, barely comprehensible from the laughter.
    "Because," Jessie replied angrily, "now you'll have to make your own 
breakfast tomorrow."  She turned to leave.
    "Huh?"  Jonny lifted his head up.
    "Well what did ya think I was going to do with it," she rejoined, "Hang 
it on my wall?"  She left.  Jonny tried to hit himself with the magazine he 
had been reading, but he couldn't quite reach the table it was on and knocked 
it over as he fell out of the chair.

*******************

    The next morning, when Jonny went downstairs into the kitchen, Jessie was 
making French toast in her new frying pan.
    "Uh, Jess," Jonny said, rubbing his hand behind his neck.
    "Um-hum."  She kept cooking.
    "Uh, I'm-a-really-um-sorry for making fun of your frying pan yesterday."
    Jessie turned around.  "Okay-I accept your apology," She replied sweetly. 
 She turned back and flipped the French toast again.
    "Um, so can I have French toast with everybody else now?"
    "No."
    "What?"
    "I said you couldn't have any yesterday, and I meant it."  She kept 
making French toast.
    "Jess, come on-"
    "N-O. No."
    Jonny hit the table for being so stupid and began to pour some cereal 
into a bowl.
    "oh boy!"  Race shouted excitedly as he walked into the room.  He rubbed 
his hands together in anticipation.  "Home made French toast.  You using my 
mom's recipe Ponchita?"
    "Oh of course Daddy."  Jessie kissed her father good morning.
    Race turned and saw Jonny.  "What's the matter Jonny, aren't you eating 
breakfast with the rest of us?"
    Jonny just grumbles and stared into his bran flakes.
    "I'm afraid Jessie won't allow Jonny to have any Race," Hadji answered, 
coming into the room and sitting down.
    "Oh." Race sat down next to Hadji, across from Jonny.  He knew better 
than to get involved in one of these two's squabbles.
    "It's ready," Jessie called out as Dr. quest walked in.
    "Just in time," he said and took the seat next to Jonny.
"Here we are," Jessie said ever-so -sweetly as she brought over a plate of 
steaming French toast.
    "Oh thank you"
    "These look great"
    "Could someone pass the syrup"
    "Thanks"
    "Oh really, it was nothing"
    Jonny gave Jessie dirty looks from behind his orange juice.

******************

    That afternoon, Jessie was in the kitchen with her frying pan again.
    "I think, I'm going to make eggs for lunch.  do you want some?"  she was 
talking to Hadji who was at the table reading the paper.
    "No thank you," he replied, no looking up, "I believe I will just have 
yogurt."
    "Ok."  Jessie reached into the fridge to get the eggs.
    "Hey Jess can you make me some too?"  Jonny slammed the door leading to 
the courtyard as he came inside from playing with Bandit all morning.
    "No."
    "What?  but I apologized-"
    Jess spun around angrily and slammed the refrigerator door shut.  "You 
didn't really mean it.  You just wanted me to make breakfast for you!"
    "Come o-on Jess,"  Jonny whimpered.  Hadji continued to read his paper.
    "Stop whining Quest!"
    "But Jessie-e.  All I want is some e-eggs"
    "Jonny-"
    "Come on-"
    "I'm warning you!"
    "Jess!"
    Jessie stuck out with her hand behind her back, picked up the first thing 
she touched and brought it down on Jonny's head.
    "Uh-Hadji-"
    "What?"
    "Um-"  
    Hadji looked up from his paper and saw Jessie holding the frying pan, 
standing over a giant omelet.  Hadji jumped up so fast he knocked down his 
chair.
    "What happened?"
    "I don't know," Jessie replied, on the brink of tears. "I just hit him on 
the head and he turned into an omelet!"
    "It is okay Jessie, just put him in the frying pan and then go dry your 
eyes.  I will get some books that I believe may help us."
    Jessie nodded dumbly as Hadji ran out the door and across the courtyard.  

*************************

    "Oh hi Ponchita."  Race was in the kitchen when Jessie returned from the 
bathroom.  "I saw that omelet you made and it looked delicious."  Jessie 
glanced behind her father at the stove.  The frying pan wasn't there.
    "Uh-dad-"
    "Funny thing though.  Bandit grabbed the whole kit-and-caboodle out of my 
hand before I could even-"
    "Bye dad!"  Jessie ran out of the kitchen before he could finish.
    "Kids these days," he said as Jessie slammed the door behind her.

******************

    Jessie met Bandit, Hadji, and-uh-Jonny in the courtyard.
    "Oh Hadji, what am I going to do?" she cried. "Dad almost ate Jonny!"
    "Jessie, it is important to remain calm.  I have brought some books with 
me which I believe may help us."  He gestured to the pile of books on the 
grass.  "Now sit down."
    Jessie sat down cross-legged opposite Hadji, the frying pan between them. 
 She was still nervous and jittery.
    "Close your eyes and concentrate on Jonny's presence," Hadji instructed.  
"I will read some incantations while you do that."
    "O.K."
    "Jessie, relax"
    "I am relaxed"
    "You are shaking"
    "It's cold"
    "It is the middle of summer"
    "Well I'm cold"
    "Jessie perhaps if you just-"
    "QUIT TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!"  She flung her eyes open, grabbed the 
frying pan, and smacked Hadji with it.
    "Oh no," she whimpered.  She was starring at a very large poached egg.
    "Had-ji?  Oh no."  Jessie carefully lifted the poached egg, and placed it 
in the frying pan next to the omelet, which thankfully had not been upset  in 
the latest incident.
    Jessie sighed.  "Now what am I going to do?"

**************

    "Hey, Ponchita, have you seen the boys anywhere?"
    "Boys, what boys?"  Jessie sopped descending the stairs and gripped the 
railing.
    Race raised his eyebrows.  "Hadji and Jonny…?"
    "Oh THOSE boys!"  Jessie put her hand up to her mouth and feigned 
laughing.  "I think-a-yes, they said they were going out somewhere."
    "That's funny."  Race voiced.  "You think they'd've run it by me or Dr. 
Quest first."
    "Well, boys will be boys!"  Jessie cited, then began to go up the stairs.
    "Jes, weren't you coming down the stairs?"
    She turned.  "Um…I don't remember!"

**************

    "What am I going to do?!"  Jessie was wearing out her carpet pacing.  She 
went over to the frying pan, and held the sides.  "I'm going to get rid of 
this thing as soon as I get you guys back to normal."
    "Now why would you want to do that?" a voice behind her asked.
    Jessie turned around and saw the transparent image of a young 
blond-haired girl in a flowing dress.
    "Who are you?"  Jessie asked.
"I am Queen Annalisa of the Gracious Islands, and the first person to use 
that frying pan," she said.
    "You are?"  Jessie quizzed.
    "Yes, and not many people have been able to use that, " she gestured to 
the large frying pan on the bed, "It burns most everyone's hand."
    "And I can use it to turn people into eggs?  Can it be reversed?"
    "Sure," Annalisa replied.  "It took me a while, but I eventually figured 
it out.  I had to make sure to keep it a secret though."
    "Good.  And then I'll get rid of the frying pan.  but what am I going to 
do when my dad Finds out?"
    "And who's going to tell him," Annalisa laughed. "them?"
    "Well yeah, but…" Jessie turned her eyes back to the frying pan. "If I 
don't get rid of the frying pan…"  She smiled at Annalisa, who smiled back.

******************

    A week later, the Quest family was in the kitchen eating breakfast.
    "This is Mrs. Evan's week off," Race began, "I expect you kids to pitch 
in."
"Count me out," Jonny said, finishing the last of his Frosted Flakes, "I've 
got to put the finishing touches on a new Questworld program with Hadji."
    "Jonny, that can't wait a couple of hours?"  Dr. Quest asked.
    "Nope."
    "I can't believe you," Jessie remarked from the stove, "you never help 
around the mansion."
    "So what are you going to do about-"
    "Excuse me?"  Jessie whirled around, grasping the frying pan in her hand.
    "I-uh-mean- what can I do to-um-help."
    "Oh, I dunno," she teased, "how about the dishes?"
    "No-no-no!" (Jonny had already attempted to confiscate the frying pan-and 
was rather 'shocked') "I'll do the bathrooms and the windows."
    "And I," Hadji put in, "will be happy to do the vacuuming."  He almost 
seemed a little nervous…
    "Good," Jessie turned around again.  "Glad you guys want to help."
    Dr. Quest and Race looked at each other and shrugged.